NO prizes for guessing what's top of our priority list in training this week -- defending corners!

Not surprising really after it cost us so dearly in our Nationwide League Division Three match at Hartlepool on Saturday.

And, as our fans will know, it's not the only time that this part of our game has let us down this season.

It happened the previous week against Cheltenham and, in fact, seven of the last nine goals we've let in have come from set-pieces.

And that's just not good enough -- it's something we must stamp out right now.

Certainly, what happened on Saturday at Hartlepool was a big disappointment to all of us particularly after we had taken the lead through John Durnin.

In the first half we played ever so well, there was a spring in our step, we broke well, had good pace and showed plenty of movement.

But the one thing that let us down during that first period was our decisions whether to shoot or cross and if we'd have been more careful and thoughtful when we'd have come in at half time with the game over.

But you know as a manager -- and it was the same against Cheltenham the previous week -- that when the first half has gone that way then you have to be on your guard because that's when the opposition are most dangerous.

Obviously, in an ideal world we would have liked to have carried our first-half play into the second period, but you can't always expect that. We knew they'd come at us, but I felt their only source of goals would be corners and free kicks -- and look what happened!

We win or lose as a team, but corners are an individual thing.

Players all have a job to do, someone on the post and others marking, and individuals are letting us down in those situations.

There's nothing you can do as a team -- you have to do your own job and we are just not doing that.

Later this week, nearer Saturday's FA Cup game with Burton Albion, we'll be concentrating on it in training.

But you can train and train on defending corners until you are blue in the face, but if individuals switch off, then you pay the price like we did on Saturday.

But, to be honest, we will play worse this season and win. We probably have already done, but really we need to get back-to-back victories in the league.

We've only done that once this season, against Halifax and Brighton, and that's a long time ago now.

With two wins in our last 13 league matches it's relegation form whatever way you look at it. And believe me, we are fully aware of that.

I'd be downhearted if I thought we had massive problems, but we must start defending corners and free kicks properly.

In open play we look as good, if not better, than most teams we have played, but I don't believe how tall a player is has anything to do with defending corners and free kicks. It's to do with alertness and awareness.

You have to be hell bent that when the ball comes in you get to it first.

We did it magnificently last season against some very big Nationwide Conference players and I believe we can do it again.

In fact, we need to be more determined in both penalty boxes. When we have chances we need to go in full of determination.

Somebody might have to break their nose to score a goal, but it's worth it isn't it?

Equally, you might have to take a couple of stitches in a cut above the eye to stop the opposition scoring.

But, enough of the Hartlepool game, we've now got to knuckle down and get back to winning ways -- starting on Saturday against Burton.